Detachable button



Oct 11, 1949. SHAFFER 2,484,654

DETACHABLE BUTTON Filed Aug. 6; 1945 INVENTOR. HM A. Jan/Tm Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNl-TED srarss: rare-Mr owl This invention relates- 150 buttons, and particularly to ornamental: detachable buttons suitablei for use on dress garments. inventioni'sa modified and improvedform of the 1 button dis closed in my Letters Patent: No. 2 ,47-1",589- dated May 315, 1949 and entitled Detachable button.

The primary obj ect of this inventionis to pro'- vide a detachablebutton' which; whenthe sep"-= arable headis removed; leaves arel atively fiat supporting base on thetextile sur'face and which base may be pressed-withoutinjuringthe fabric.

Another object is t'o provide a' device of the type' mentioned; the separable parts of which maybe firmly lockedtog-et'her when" united and which may b e"- simpl y' andeasiiy' parted.

A further object isto construct such device: out of simple stampings and parts that maybe applied to conventional button heads or sewed to ordinary textiie fabrics bymach-inery rather than-by hand'operations.

' Still another object isto" provide a detachable-- button that is mounted on the surface of the" supporting fabric with no damage or disfigure-- ment' thereto.

These and other objects of the-invention will" become apparent from areading of the following description and claims, together with theac companying drawing, whereinlike parts are re ferredto and indicated by like reference characters and wherein:

Figural is a plan view of the'detachabIe button" attached to" and engaging pieces" of' textile fabric;

Figure ??i's a'cros'ssecti'onal view o'f 'th'ebutton, taken alongthe line and inti'ie directionof the arrows 2-2 of'the Figure 1 Figure 3'-*is-a similar view of the button; takerr' along the line and the d-irec'tit'm-- oithe arrows 3 -4 af t-he'Figure 1 Figure 4; is-a plan-view of the ba-semember of thebutton sewed to a piece oftexti-le fabric;

Figure 5"'-i's-a cross-sectional view of the base member, taken alongthe line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of the Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side view' of the head member of therbutton;

Figure '7 is an end view of the same';,.

Figure 8 is abottom planview oi thesame;

Figure 9' is a sideview" ofthe' clasp portion of the button head;

Figure IOis an enlarged planview of the base member;

Figure- 1-13 is amendsview of thebase m'embei taken along the. lineand in. the direction of the arrows i l l l of the Figure 10;

Figure 12 is an opposite'end view of the base member, taken along the line 1 and in the direction of the arrows !2l2 of the Figure 10;

Figure 13 is a side view of the base member,

taken along:- the line and in: the direction of the arrows la -4 310i: theiFigure 1 0;

Figure: 14: is a sid'eiview, partly in section; 01 the; base: memheri with at clasp: portion partially I mountedtthereim;

Thisinventi'om consists primarily at two major:

parts: the separable head member; broadl 'y indi- Y cated by: the": character 30 and' the fix'ed anchor.

body? or." base memhembroadlyr indicated: by the: character M12...

- Theseparable head member 30 has a button bodytopisurface 3 whion may be plain or ornaa menteti. aszide'sired.-- Its bottom or: normally con cealedzsurtace 3:2 has ash0'rt lateral or diametric channeI' S wherein ait its oenter in which the clasp portion a5iisisecure'ly mounted.

The: clasp- 35% is made of spring wire and shaped v somewhati like: the" Greek letter omega It? hastaz straightrcentral portion: that is securely fastened in the ai'oresaidchannel and has two"- snrihg-fingers' w, the endS or which: are bentto form: small hooks 31'. The hook ends" 31 are? straight and alvi'gned and their inner ends maybe olosedas: in'clieate'clsi :the'Fig-ure9 ihthedraw mg; Normally the" fingers 36: are: spread apart as shown and they are closed-only'under tension." 4 Theanchor-onbasemember' Wis stamped and cutroutat th' sheets of resilient stainless metal and'is mounted'on the nnd'erlying fabric 26. Thepiate portion 4:1 thereof is substantial-1ysquare; The edges or corners 42 are trimmed slightly to' provide for Sowing the same: to the top surface oithe' textile-fabric. The central por tiorr wentout to fornta cross and is also em-' bossedi-toiform; smali rece's's; The leaf ortiem at: is feldedlin'der 'the plate ortion M and has. a lbn'gitu'dinailoeritralb ridge: or boss 53 thereon; The-perforations: 415i are: punched inthe fil'aiE- member? 4 0- are preferably punched Ona: bias and are adjaeent to the-'trimmed corners 4Z This -permi-t'sthememberto be sewed to the sur face 2.1 of the fabric; by means of machine stitches 21. By sewing: the base member wil at theitrimmed pertor ated corners 42 as indicated and ated the-sharp corners or edges thereof are arro shielded to prevent cutting or tear-'-- adiaeenli fabrib lit alsofaci'litates presS-'-- ineeithe re'ssmg iror i 'tiiill passover thebase ihg member harmlessly if it is sewed on as -statedi Also during cleaning or laundering of the garment, there is less likelihood of the corners injuring other delicate fabrics,

bossed or raised, the underside of which forms l0.

aligned recesses 41 for the aforementionedaligned finger ends 31, when the head member 30 is mounted. The inside diagonal corners 48 formed by the crossed slots 45 and 46 are spaced apart.

sufliciently to cause the spring fingers 36 to be tensed or closed when the button is being at tached.

;.The leaf portion 5| is slightly narrower than the plate portion 4| and-when folded thereunder, it is between the perforations 43 and does not interfere with the stitches 24 or with the machine sewing of the base member 40 to the fabric 20. Its folded edge 52 is resilient and springy and tends to keep the plate and leaf portions together as shown. The central part of the leaf portion 5| has the heretofore mentioned small ridge or. boss 53 which normally rests in the longitudinal slot 45 and lies perpendicularly between the ends of the fingers 36 when the head 30 is attached.

When mounting or attaching the head member 30 to the base member 4|], the ends 37 are placed in the slot 45 andon top of the boss 53. The. head member is .then pressed slightly until the ends 31 clear the bottom surface of the plate portion 4|. This separates the plate and leaf portions as shown in the Figures 14 and .16 against the tension .of the fold 52. The head member 30 is then given a quarter turn in either direction. Three things then occur. The hooked ends 3! tend to slide off the boss 53 and the spring fingers 36 of the clasp portion 35 are brought together by the constriction formed by the diagonal corners 48 of the plate portion slots. When the head member 30 passes forty-five degrees of the turn. the fingers 36 tend to open :or spread again and resume their normal position. When it completes a quarter turn, the hooked ends 31 fit in the aligned recesses 41 and are firmly held therein by the tensional leaf portion 5|. The boss 53 then lies perpendicularly between the spread fingers 36.

To remove the detachable head member 30, the operation is reversed. The head may be given aninety degree turn in either direction and the hooked ends 3'! simply removed through the slot 45.

Many advantages are apparent in this improved button. However, certain advantages should be particularly noted. First, the head cannot accidentally fall out or become separated since it is locked. in place by three distinct means. The spring fingers are engaged by the corners 48. The leaf 5| retains the ends 31 in the recesses 41 and'the boss 53 prevents rotation by engagement with the clasp portion 35. Second, the parts are assembled and held under tension and there is no loose play or rattle between the parts. The button has the feel, when assembled, of a conventional button properly sewed in place and never has a dropped or limp appearance. And third, the clasp portion neatly fits longitudinally in the buttonhole 23 and the buttonhole is not unduly spread or worn to cause an unsightly appearance.

Having thus disclosed the invention in its preferred form, it should be understood that the invention as described and illustrated is not to be construed in a limited sense as there may be other forms or v modifications of the invention which may also be considered to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

'I. In a detachable button, a base, comprising, a folded sheet of resilient metal having a top plate portion and a bottom leaf portion, the said 'top plate portion having crossed slots therethrough and thesaid bottom leaf portion bearing resiliently against the top plate portion and having a boss thereon normally lying in one of the slots.

2. In a detachable button, a base, comprising in combination, a plate having crossed slots therethrough, rearwardly facing recesses at the ends;

of one of the said slots, and means for attaching the plate to an underlying material, and a leaf.

integral with the plate and bearing resiliently thereagainst, the leaf having a boss thereon normally disposed in the other of the said slots.

3. In a detachable button, a base of the type mountable on the top surface of material, comprising in combination, a top plate having a slot therein, the said top plate also having recesses therein extending crosswise of the said slot, and

a bottom leaf bearing resiliently against the top plate and having a boss thereon normally disposed in the said slot and between the aforesaid recesses.

4. In a detachable button, a base, comprising in combination, a top plate having a slot therein,-

the said top plate also having recesses therein extending crosswise of the said slot, means for mounting the plate on an underlying material,

and a bottom plate integral with the top plate and disposed between the said top plate and the underlying material, the said bottom plate bearing resiliently against the top plate and having a boss thereon normally disposed in the said slot and between the aforesaid recesses.

5. A separable button, comprising in combina-.

tion, a head member including a pair of alined outwardly extending fingers spaced from the back thereof; and an anchor member including a top plate portion attachable to a garment and having crossed slots therethrough, one of the said slots capable of, receiving the aforesaid pair of fingers when in a first position and the other of said slots capable of engaging the aforesaid pair of fingers when in a second position, and a bottom leaf portion bearing resiliently against the top plate portion and having a boss thereon disposed in the first aforesaid slot and between the pair of fingers when in their second position.

. HARRY A. SHAFFER.

Great Britain Apr. 25, 1908 

